Electric sign



M. c. BALDI-:R

ELECTRIC SIGN Filed May 16, 1930 n L 4 A f f1 f l l f f f l f l l f l lli-Vig.. 3..

r m a w l v a ad m Patented July 7, 1931 PATENT OFFICE MILTON C. BALDER, YONKERS, NEW YORK ELECTRIC SIGN Application led May 16, 1930. Serial No. 452,845.

This. invention relates to improvements in electric signs, the principal object of the invention being to provide a sign of this character which is comparatively simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and possessed of maximum visibility.

A further object of the invention 'is to provide an electric sign in which the angle of the sign-bearing member proper can readily be varied to correspond with the po sition of the observer and without changing its position relative to the lighting means. Other means and advantages of the invention will appear" as the description proceeds. In the drawings accompanying this specitication, I

Fig. 1 is a partly broken away perspective View of a sign embodying. the features of 'the present invention; 1

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view illustrating the sign bearing panel swung outward on its hinges to afford access to the lamp bulbs; Y

Fig. 3 is a broken away transverse sectio'lal View of the panel 011 alarger scale;

Fig. 4 is a front view of one section of a modified form of panel and illustrating also a modified type of letter.

Referring tothe drawings, l designates an elongated housing, which may be of any desired material and size. ne side of the housing is entirely open, and hinged, preferably to the bottom of the housing, is a frame 2 adapted to be swung into said open side. Secured to the top .and bottom bars of the -frame so as to 'be movable therewith is a semi-tubular member 3 of sheet metal and preferably having a reflectingsurface. By this construction the frame may be moved soas to carry the member 3 from the position indicated in broken lilies in Fig.

2 to the position shown in full lines, or even further. Supported in the semi-tubular member S'are a plurality of reflectors 4 at the center of cach of which supported an electric light bulb 5, lthe reflectors being of such formas to spread or diffuse the light evenly through the open side of the housin 1. The top of the housing is provided Witii an overhanging portion or hood 6 having a curvature coincident with that of the member 3, whereby said member will maintain contact with the hood when in its outermost position. Ourrent is supplied to the lamps l5:5

5 by wires 7 which pass through openings in the rear wall of the housing l.

Hingedvwithin the frame 2 4and preferably to the top bar thereof is a second frame 8 the members of which are of channel formation whereby the frame is adapted to retain a pair of panels 9 and 10 which carry the sign to be exhibited. After numerous experiments I have found that the results obtainable are influenced materially not only by employing two translucent panels of different types arranged in juXt-apositioi'i, but also by the disposition of the sign-bearing panel proper relatively to the light and to its companion panel. In the present instance the panel 9 is a colored translucent panel having a roughened surface on one side, similar to the glass commonly known as cathedral glass, while the panel 10 is the sign-carrying panel proper andis preferably composed of a piece of ground glass. A black or dark colored background is preferably painted on the panel 10, and the matter to be displayed is blocked out in perspective, as' shown in Fig. l. The tace of each letter is divided into three areas, namely a central area of a contrasting color such as yellow, green or any other desired color, ,l said area being enclosed within a border, preferably of a darker color and which border is separated from the surrounding field or background by an unpainted area. This type of lettering imparts to the sign a visibility which renders it readable at a very much greater distance than would be possible with any of the styles of lettering ordinarily used for this purpose.r4 I have found that the sharpness of the letters is considerably emphasized if the cathedral glass panel is placedncarest the light with its roughened side outermost and the ground glass panel inserted with its painted side next to the cathedral glass.

'flhe semi-tubular member 3 is provided with end walls 1l attached to the Vertical A100 the latter is movable on its hinges to differmembersof the frame 2 thereby forming'A ay closed lamp chamber between the trame and said member 3 thus excluding rain, dust andl other undesirable material from the lamps and reflectors.

In practice the panel-carrying'frame 8 is normally disposed within the frame 2, and

ent angular positions in the open side of the housing. l rIhis adjustability of the trame 2 renders 'it possible to set the sign panels at the best an le to be viewed in accordance with the heig t at which the sign may be located above the observer. In Fig. 2 the panel-carrying frame' is swung outward on 7 its hinges to permit access to the li ht cham- .ber for replacing or inspecting t e lamps.

It will be understood, of course, that the device will be of suitable .length to accommodat'e the matter to be displayed and that the number of lamps and reflectors will vary proportionately to the length oi' the device.

These and other mechanical details of the device may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as setaforth in the appended claims.

The sign-bearing panel may, if desired,

be made up of a plurality of individual sections 12, as shown in Fig. 4C, each section carrying a single letter 'adapted to form part df the sign to be exhibited. In Fig.- 4 it Will also be noted that the letter is of a d ifferent style from those shown in Fig. 1. InA other words, theletter presents a full face view comprising a lcentral shaded area enclosed within an `unshaded border. I have found this type of letter very effective, since the intermediate shaded portion prevents too great a diffusion of the light, While at certain distances the border on one side of .said area appears to merge with that on the other side so completely that the shaded area is entirely invisible.

Having thus described my invention,

what I claim is:

1. An electric sign, comprising a'housing,.

a lighting system mounted lforfangular movement in said housing, a translucent ,means for maintaining said lighting system in xed relation to said sign-bearing member.

3. An electric sign, comprising a housing havingg'n open side, a frame hingedly mountedv in the oper.' -s'ide of said housing and vcarrying a sign-bearing member, a

a closed chamber, a plurality yof electricA lights supported in said chamber in fixed relation to said sign-bearing member, and a reflector for each of said lights adapt-ed to diffuse the light over the surface of said sign-bearing member.

5. An electric sign, comprising a housing having an o en side, a frame"4 vhingedly mounted in t e open side of saidhousing,

a semi-tubular member secured at its longi.

tudinal edges to said `frame and "forming therewith a closed chamber, a plurality 'of electric lights supported ori-said semi-tubular member Within said chamber, a translucent panel disposed lin said frame and having a sign on that side ythereof nearest 'the lights, and a second translucent panelof a different type disposed in said frame in juxtaposition to the -first panel and between it and the lights.

6. Anelectric sign,\ comprising a housing having an open side, al frame hingedly mounted in the open side of said housing, a semi-tubular member! secured.l at its longitudinal vedges to saidv frame-and. forming .therewith a closed chamber, a plurality of electric lights supported on said semi-tubular member within said chamber, a second frame hingedly mounted in said first frame and normally lying in the same plane therewith, and a pair oi translucent panels disposed -insaid second frame one having a sign on that side thereof nearest the lights and the other panel disposed `in juxtaposition to' the sign-bearing side of` said first panel and between it and the lights.

7 An electric sign, comprisin a housing, a lighting system mounted" or angular movement in said housing, a plurality of translucent members each carrying matter to be displayed', said members cooperating toform a complete sign-carrying panel disposed in fixed relation to said lighting system, and means for varying the angular position of said panel and lighting system with relation to the housin In testimony whereof I name to this specification.

^ MILTON C. BALDER.

Iiave signed my 

